The Green House Bristol is looking for a new Chair of Trustees to join our Trustee board. As Chair of Trustees, you will play a critical leadership role and ensure the Trustee board functions effectively. 

Overview of the role 

3 in 20 girls and 1 in 20 boys will experience sexual violence before they turn 18. Yet, with access to the right help, children and their families can heal and recover. The Green House offers this lifeline, delivering the only specialist service to children, young people and families who have experienced sexual abuse living in Avon and Somerset. 

We are currently recruiting for a new Chair of Trustees to join our Trustee board. As a Trustee of The Green House, you will play a crucial role in setting the strategic direction of the charity and ensuring good governance. You will contribute to ensuring that the charity fulfils its mission, operates effectively, and remains accountable to survivors of child sexual abuse, and their families.  

In addition to the general duties as Trustee, as Chair you will be in a leadership role: overseeing the Trustee board, acting as a spokesperson and ambassador for the charity, and working closely with The Green House’s CEO. 

Please note that you will also be appointed as a Director of The Green House, reflecting our registration as both a charity and a Private Limited Company. 

Why join us? 

The service The Green House provides is distinct in four ways: 

1. We are evidence-based, with everything we do guided by research and best practice 
2. We are led by the voices of young people and their families 
3. We are centred on community and connection  
4. We are focused on the transformational power of the creative arts in helping survivors to rebuild their lives 

This has resulted in a distinct service that ensures children have access to timely, specialist support services that are right for them.   

Although The Green House delivers a local service, the work we do is increasingly leading the way in changing the national response to child sexual abuse – from delivering national training on pre-trial therapy to our involvement in the Upfront Survivors project.  

It is an exciting time to join us as we embed our new service model, deliver a new strategy, and look to increase both our local and national visibility. You will be joining an ambitious team who work tirelessly to improve the lives of children, young people and families who have experienced sexual abuse.  

About you 

• You will need previous experience acting as a Trustee, but it is not essential to have experience as a Chair of Trustees. We are looking for you to demonstrate: 
• Commitment: A deep passion and commitment to work alongside survivors of sexual abuse and their families. 
• Integrity: That you uphold the highest ethical standards. 
• Strategic Thinking: An ability to contribute to ‘big picture’ thinking. 
• Financial Acumen: The ability to understand financial statements and budgeting. 
• Collaboration: A recognition of the need for The Green House to act alongside partners and survivors, and for the Board to function as a collective. 
• Advocacy: A willingness to represent the charity and advocate on The Green House’s behalf. 
• Communication: The ability for you to communicate your area of specialism to other members of the board with different specialist knowledge. 
• Time Commitment: The ability to consistently devote time to the role. 

We value a wide range of experiences and specialisms, and our work is research-led and evidence-based. We welcome and encourage those with lived experience to apply. We know that there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’ and that many of The Green House’s team are themselves survivors of sexual abuse and/or have wider lived experiences that offer huge value to the work we deliver. 

Duties of all Trustees 

• Prepare for and attend Board meetings, using your skills, expertise, and knowledge to contribute to discussions. 
• Participate in setting the charity’s strategic direction. Contribute to decision-making on key matters, including long-term planning, financial sustainability, and program development. 
• Provide support, learning and challenge to The Green House’s CEO. 
• Ensure The Green House acts in line with its governing document and complies with all relevant laws and regulations. 
• Ensure the charity lives its values (hope, creativity, and connection), delivering accountability to children who have experienced sexual abuse and their families. 
• Monitor operational progress against The Green House’s new strategy. 
• Ensure the charities financial and wider resources are being used effectively and treated with care. 
• Ensure all relevant policies and procedures are in place and are being implemented. 
• Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored, and controlled effectively. 
• Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect The Green House’s interests, to the exclusion of your own personal and/or any third-party interests. 
• Proactively represent The Green House, building the charity’s visibility and reputation. 

Duties of the Chair 

• Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board, ensuring that The Green House achieves its mission.  
• Work in partnership with the CEO, offering challenge and support towards our goals. 
• Act as Line Manager to the CEO and conduct annual appraisals of the CEO. 
• Lead the board in ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation. 
• Plan and chair monthly board meetings. 
• Act as a spokesperson and ambassador for The Green House. 

Terms of appointment 

Terms of office 

• Trustees are appointed for a three-year term of office, with renewal for two further terms to a maximum of three years. 
• This is a voluntary position, but all reasonable expenses are covered. 

Time commitment (Approximately 2-4 days a month) 

• Attend monthly Board meetings. These are typically held on a Thursday evening at 6pm. Most meetings are virtual although we do meet in-person on a quarterly basis. 
• Line Management and Appraisal of the CEO (1 hour every 6 weeks; 1 hour annually). 
• Additional time is needed to take ownership of actions that arise from meetings (from supporting with recruitment and exit interviews where appropriate, to attending events on The Green House’s behalf). You will also need to be flexible in responding to emergent time-urgent issues when they arise. 
• We also ask Trustees to attend an initial induction day at The Green House, The Green House’s annual Festival of Activism against Child Sexual Abuse (1 day in early February) and spend a strategy day with the staff team (typically 1 day September). From time to time, depending on the nature of the Fundraising activity it may be necessary for Trustee’s to attend fundraising events/meetings with the CEO. 

EDI Statement  

The Green House actively encourages and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Having a diverse workforce would not only help us evolve as an organisation, but also help us better our inclusive practices for the various communities we serve. Because of this, we are particularly keen to receive applications from members of ethnic minority groups and individuals with disabilities who are currently underrepresented within the charity.   

We also understand that different barriers effect people with protected characteristics from accessing certain opportunities or experience. That is why we would like to offer any candidate living with disability that meets the minimum criteria a guaranteed interview.   

There is an optional Equal Opportunities form included for those living with disability to submit alongside their application to qualify for the guaranteed interview scheme. As well as in general for our internal diversity in recruitment monitoring, which can be sent to us at the same address alongside your application. This form will not be seen by the hiring panel.